


Call the Midwife Drabbles

by Wandering_Words



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Army, Basically just gay propaganda, Beards (Relationships), Break Up, Break Up Talk, Domestic Fluff, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gay, I'm lowkey scared of writing smut, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Lovers to Friends, Many of these characters are background, Multi, Mutual Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Some of these drabbles are raunchy but not E level raunchy, Stillbirth, Tags Are Hard, Third Wheels, Throuple, accidental suicide, requests are open, whoops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:20:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 10,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28279017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wandering_Words/pseuds/Wandering_Words
Summary: Hello Nonnatuns! I've been writing a series of Call the Midwife drabbles (100-600 words) based on friendships and relationships that I consider to be more "niche" (aka not Turnadette or Pupcake), and I decided to post them if you want to take a look.Some are alternate universe, though most are set in the actual Call the Midwife world. If you would specifically like to see Turnadette, Pupcake, or you would like to send in your own Call the Midwife pairing and prompt, please PM me! I'll fulfill requests when I get the chance. :)I plan to update every Monday and Thursday, but we'll see if that actually happens lol
Relationships: Bernadette | Shelagh Turner & Julienne, Bernadette | Shelagh Turner & Trixie Franklin, Lucille Anderson/Trixie Franklin, Lucille Anderson/Valerie Dyer, Tom Hereward & Christopher Dockerill & Cyril Robinson, Tom Hereward/Christopher Dockerill, Trixie Franklin/Barbara Gilbert, Trixie Franklin/Jenny Lee, Trixie Franklin/Valerie Dyer/Lucille Anderson, Valerie Dyer & Julienne, Valerie Dyer/Trixie Franklin
Comments: 8
Kudos: 24





	1. "What on earth are you wearing?" (Trixie/Lucille)

“What on earth are you wearing?” Trixie asked, gasping dramatically. Lucille felt small under Trixie’s sharp, penetrating gaze: her eyes roved Lucille’s form quickly, shaking her head in disapproval.

“I don’t see a problem,” Valerie piped in from her bed, but Trixie shook her head, her blonde curls obscuring her face as her head rested in her hands, thinking about how she could fix this.

Lucille didn’t think she was wearing anything offensive: she wore a dress the color of a buttercup, outlining the shape of her body but not overly clinging to her curves, a simple pair of stockings, and a pair of heels that weren’t too tall, but tall enough to make her level with Trixie.

Trixie finally looked up, her blue eyes having traced every line and curve of Lucille’s body. Lucille felt herself flush in response, her face heating as Trixie looked her up and down again, her plump bottom lip trapped between her pearly white teeth. Trixie was only looking at her like that to make her date night outfit better, Lucille told herself, yet something felt different about Trixie’s gaze. 

She took her time appraising Lucille’s body, eyes lingering subtly on the outlines of her ankles, the curve of her hips, and the small portion of chest exposed by her v-neck before finally meeting Lucille’s kind brown eyes.

Trixie coughed, clearing her throat before speaking, looking down at her nails.

“I think I know what’s missing,” Trixie said, getting up and rifling through her wardrobe. She pulled out a white cardigan and handed it to Lucille, her eyes downcast and focused on her toes.

Lucille didn’t know what to do about Trixie’s sudden shyness, and she failed to notice the hot pink blush travelling down Trixie’s neck and chest as Lucille took the offered item, their fingers brushing. Lucille enjoyed the warmth of Trixie’s fingers on hers, but didn’t say anything, not willing to admit that she’d enjoyed the gentle, fleeting touch and craved more of it.

“You might get cold, and we wouldn’t want that,” Trixie babbled, but the last words were mumbled. Trixie still refused to meet Lucille’s eyes, which brimmed with concern for the usually confident and slightly cocky blonde. She didn’t know what she’d done to reduce her to a mumbling, blushing mess and just wanted her friend back. Her heart panged at the last thought, but she didn’t know why.

Trixie was right, it seemed. Lucille found herself burrowing her arms in the cardigan further as she and Cyril walked down the streets of Poplar, the hiss of the breeze biting through her skin and bringing a flush to her cheeks. The cardigan smelled like cigarettes, rose, and something else that was distinctly Trixie, and it made her feel more comforted than she had in a long time. Cyril kissed her cheek quickly before leaving, but something felt off. 

Later, Lucille found herself wishing that it had been Trixie’s red lips leaving a soft kiss against her cheek.


	2. “Why Do You Hate Me?” (Valerie/Lucille)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I included Patsy and Delia in this drabble because I miss them, I completely ignored the timeline of the show. Also, this piece of dialogue isn't actually in this drabble, I was merely inspired by it :)

Life hadn’t been particularly kind to Valerie Dyer, but now she felt blessed to be working at Nonnatus House. She was a nurse again, but instead of consistently pleasing the supervisor who hated her for circumstances she couldn’t change, she was working for the kind and caring Sister Julienne. It was the calling she’d longed for ever since leaving the army, and now that she had achieved it, she was going to do everything she could to keep herself there. 

She liked all of her colleagues, but then Lucille came along, and even covered in snow she was the most beautiful woman Valerie ever had the pleasure of seeing. There was something about the kindness in her molasses brown eyes, the shyness in her gaze, and the smile on her pink lips that drew Valerie in, making her long to know the woman with a fierceness she’d never known before. 

They became fast friends and found time for each other when they could. Valerie still had the same passion for midwifery, but nights of hot chocolate and rum were the highlights of Valerie’s week. Lucille understood every facet of her and never failed to make her smile, a trait that none of her other friends had before. 

That’s why Valerie struggled to breathe the day Lucille met Cyril Robinson. Suddenly, Valerie wasn’t Lucille’s top priority anymore. It seemed like night after night Lucille made the effort to go meet him instead of spending time with her, and the wide, radiant smile and unmaintainable joy that resulted from seeing him made Valerie's stomach twist itself uncomfortably in knots. 

Valerie initially thought that it was just loneliness because no one understood her as effectively as Lucille, but when she stumbled across Patsy and Delia stealing a kiss when they thought no one was looking, she felt as though she’d been suffocated by mountains of ash. What Patsy and Delia had, Valerie wanted for herself. She wanted the closeness of Lucille’s body to hers and to take her lips into her own and kiss them until she couldn’t breathe. But she also knew that pursuit of Lucille was futile. 

Cyril was a good man, and he made Lucille smile. At the end of the day, that’s what Valerie wanted: to see Lucille happy. 

One evening, Valerie opened the door to Nonnatus House and barely concealed a frown upon seeing Cyril in a freshly ironed and pressed suit, a beaming smile on his face as he held out a bouquet of white amaryllis. 

“Lucille’s still out on call,” Valerie said, and Cyril shrugged. He was so courteous, polite, and kind, three facets of his personality that he consistently demonstrated as Valerie kept him company over tea, the both of them waiting anxiously for Lucille's return. Valerie listened attentively as he spoke, and then he said something so offhandedly that Valerie nearly fell out of her chair. 

“I see how you look at Lucille, Valerie, and she looks at you the same way. I love her, but she doesn’t love me the way she loves you. And who am I to stand in your way?" He looked Valerie in the eyes as he spoke, and Valerie didn't detect any regret, anger, or malice in his gaze, only understanding. 

"I only ask that you let me break it off," he finished, taking both his cup and Valerie's to the sink. 

Valerie blinked, the cogs of her mind still processing the words he spoke. 

“You don’t have to--” she began, feeling the guilt eat away at her stomach, but Cyril shook his head, sending Valerie a small smile of understanding and compassion. 

“You're a great woman, Valerie. All you need to do is see that for yourself.”


	3. Pet Names / Cuddling (Trixie/Barbara)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of alcoholism

Trixie called everybody sweetie, even Barbara, yet Barbara still felt special whenever the nickname fell carelessly from Trixie’s lips. It was always spoken with so much affection that Barbara’s knees weakened, her whole resolve melting at the sight of her girlfriend. 

Something had been off with Trixie for a while now, and Barbara felt helpless to fix it. She noticed that early in the mornings, Trixie would scan the hallways before sneaking into the bathroom with a bottle of an unidentifiable amber liquid that sloshed lazily in the glass as Trixie moved. 

She didn’t think anyone could hear her, but Barbara’s heart shattered when she heard Trixie’s broken sobs seeping through the cracks of the wooden door. Then she would continue on with her day as normal, pretending that she hadn’t been sobbing endlessly in the early hours of the morning as the sky blushed shades of thistle and rose, the sun still waking up from its nightly descent. 

Barbara confronted her about it one night, and Trixie said she was fine, though she was a terrible liar. Her bottom lip quivered slightly, her hands trembled, and her eyes filled with tears, a gesture she tried to hide by turning away from Barbara. Barbara moved so that Trixie’s watery blue eyes met Barbara’s worried grey ones, and Barbara enveloped Trixie in a hug while she sobbed against Barbara’s shoulder. 

Trixie didn’t have to tell her, Barbara could tell by the glasses laid out haphazardly and the bottle of brandy standing proudly on her nightstand that Trixie regressed, and Barbara’s heart broke. She didn’t know what triggered it and was about to ask gently until she noticed her girlfriend’s eyes threatening to close, and then Barbara figured that the conversation could wait. 

They cuddled for the first time that night. Barbara snuck out of her room and tiptoed to Trixie and Patsy’s room, tucking herself under the thin covers and wrapping an arm around the crying blonde. Trixie turned in Barbara’s embrace, pecking her on the lips gently and smiling softly before turning back around, holding Barbara’s arm firmly around her waist. Barbara’s fingers rested on the bit of tan skin exposed by Trixie’s pajama top, feeling the comforting warmth against the pads of her fingers. Trixie grabbed her hand just then, snaking her fingers to meet Barbara’s. 

“Thank you, sweetie,” Trixie whispered, her breath tickling Barbara’s cheek as she turned to speak, and Barbara felt warmth pool at the bottom of her stomach, her face heating slightly as she heard her nickname being spoken in the vast expanse of blackness shrouding Trixie’s bedroom. 

For now, they could just enjoy each other’s presence until the sun woke them up with gentle rays of yellow, reminding them that a new day was dawning, and they could start anew.


	4. “I Lost the Baby” (Sister Julienne/Valerie FRIENDSHIP)

She had never seen so much fluid. It dribbled thick through the bedsheets, the bed linens, the mattress, everything. It stained her fingers red, and no matter how many times Valerie ran her hands under the tap, scrubbing the skin of her hands until her knuckles cracked, she still felt the blood staining her fingers. 

A baby died in her arms, and it was all her fault. 

Valerie opened the door of Nonnatus House, closing it with a soft thud. Her face was pale with grief, her blue eyes having lost their spark of joy. She didn’t expect anyone to be back at Nonnatus at one in the afternoon, and Sister Monica Joan with her nonsensical ramblings was nowhere to be found. All Valerie wanted was a hot bath to wash away her worries and guilt, but as she slumped up the stairs, she heard a familiar, kind voice call her name. 

“Valerie?” Valerie turned slowly, seeing Sister Julienne’s concerned gaze meeting her own. It warmed her to know that someone cared for her, especially the person who’d taken a chance on her when no one else would. Her lifeless blue eyes met the warm gaze of Sister Julienne, whose eyes were full of empathy and understanding. 

Before she knew it, a warm hand rested itself in the crook of Valerie’s elbow, and Sister Julienne was coaxing Valerie to walk to her office. 

As the door closed softly, Valerie was guided to a chair which she sunk onto gratefully as Sister Julienne took the chair behind the desk. 

“I lost the baby,” Valerie said, her voice dull and throat clogged by the tears she’d been holding in all afternoon. 

The sallow face and unopened eyelids, the franticness of Valerie’s breaths into the baby’s lungs, the frigidity of the baby’s body as Valerie prepared it for a post mortem. 

The mother was understandably grieving, but she was surprisingly sympathetic towards Valerie. She’d had five other kids and knew that death was always a possibility. 

Sister Julienne moved to sit beside Valerie, wrapping her in a hug. The display of empathy finally broke Valerie, who sobbed uncontrollably into Sister Julienne’s shoulder, making the Sister’s shoulder sodden with her tears. Sister Julienne understood, she had been a midwife for decades, but Valerie was still relatively new to full-time midwifery, and this was the first time a baby died in her arms. 

“I should’ve done more,” she protested weakly, her voice slightly muffled by Sister Julienne’s shoulder. 

“You did everything you could,” Sister Julienne murmured, and her reassurance was like a soothing balm on Valerie’s emotional burns. Valerie had blamed and berated herself all morning for not doing more, so Sister Julienne’s trust and words meant everything to her.


	5. Grumpy Morning Head / “Leave Me Alone” (Trixie/Jenny)

Jenny was immediately awoken by the sound of the telephone blaring from downstairs. She quickly dressed, answering the call as quickly as she could and taking the person’s details, scribbling down an address while trying to gauge how far along the patient was. 

It was Mr. Peterson, and Mrs. Peterson on the other line must’ve had powerful lungs because she was howling like an injured wolf in the background. Her contractions were still far apart, but Jenny knew that it wouldn’t be long until she had the baby. 

She rushed into the kitchen minutes later, fastening the last bobby pin in her bronze brown curls and pulling back the strands of hair from her face. 

Trixie sat sleepily at the kitchen table, nursing a fresh mug of Horlicks. Her blue eyes were heavy with sleep, and her platinum blonde hair was still up in curlers. Jenny pressed a quick kiss to Trixie’s cheek, voicing a hasty “good morning” to her girlfriend. 

“Leave me alone,” Trixie grumbled in response, taking a slow sip as Jenny rushed to get freshly sterilized equipment, swiftly packing up the copper colored leather bag and heading out to her bicycle, enjoying the cool breeze tracing its fingers on her face. 

Something Jenny knew very well was that Trixie liked to keep up appearances, never forgetting to remove the curlers in her blonde hair and always finding time to make and use her egg face mask to brighten her complexion. That’s why Jenny was surprised when Trixie walked confidently out of Nonnatus House and headed straight for Jenny in her fluffy pink bathrobe, her white slippers now caked with mud and dirt, and her face devoid of any signs of rouge or mascara. 

“You forgot something,” Trixie mumbled, pressing a kiss to Jenny’s cheek. Trixie’s lips were warm from the Horlicks and soothed Jenny’s cheek, which was flush with cold from the morning breeze. 

Jenny smiled widely at her girlfriend, who merely grumbled as she trudged back to Nonnatus House. As soon as Trixie moved to close the door, Jenny reopened it quickly before pressing Trixie against the door, capturing Trixie’s lips within her own. Trixie squeaked with surprise but melted under Jenny’s insistent kiss, running her fingers lightly through Jenny’s soft hair. 

“See you soon,” Jenny said against Trixie’s lips before slipping out the door, acting as if nothing had happened. Trixie was wide awake now, pressing a finger against her lips and letting out a surprised giggle. 

Getting a kiss from her girlfriend was well worth the risk of being seen in a bathrobe on the cobblestone streets of Poplar.


	6. First Kiss / Flowers (Florist AU) (Valerie/Lucille)

Every week, Valerie Dyer bought an arrangement of flowers from her favorite florist. Sometimes she wanted a certain color scheme or picked particular flowers because of her slight pollen allergy, but she came in so often that she usually trusted the florist’s judgement. 

Sometimes Valerie felt like a burden when she walked into her shop demanding another arrangement, but she wanted an excuse to talk to the florist. According to the blue badge on her terracotta vest the florist's name was Lucille, but Valerie couldn’t ascertain anything further than that except that she was stunning. 

Lucille’s eyes were the kindest, warmest brown eyes she’d ever seen, and her smile could provide enough sunshine for all the flowers in her shop. 

“Valerie!” Lucille exclaimed as Valerie walked into the shop, smiling a greeting and throwing in a shy wave. “What’ll it be this week?” She asked, and Valerie shrugged, leaning her body against the counter. Her eyes flickered to Lucille’s, feeling the familiar swarm of butterflies flood her stomach. She met her eyes for a moment before coughing, effectively breaking eye contact. 

“Whatever you like,” Valerie said, and Lucille narrowed her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. 

“Don’t you have preferences Miss Dyer?” She teased, and she sent another one of her charming smiles at Valerie. Valerie shrugged before noticing a vase full of pink, red, and yellow roses nestled next to the cash register. 

She came up with an idea, and her heart pumped rapidly, skipping a few beats as she thought of a way to keep Lucille in her life. 

“Just one of those yellow roses,” she said, and Lucille raised an inquiring eyebrow, her eyes widening slightly in surprise at Valerie’s request. Lucille plucked one from the vase, the soft yellow petals on her fingers reaching out from within the confines of the barely blossoming bud. She handed it to Valerie, who twirled it in her fingers for a moment, smiling giddily. 

Then Valerie handed it back to Lucille with a light flush on her cheeks. 

“You just bought that,” Lucille said, confused. 

“It’s for you. You said that your favorite flower was a yellow rose,” Valerie said, the blush on her face growing, and Lucille floundered for an answer, her eyes widening as she registered Valerie’s implications. 

To the shock of both herself and Valerie, Lucille moved from behind the register to stand in front of Valerie, before taking the collar of her shirt and capturing Valerie’s lips on her own. 

Lucille’s kiss was soft and warm and everything Valerie had been craving the past couple of weeks. 

She cupped Lucille’s cheek in her hand before pulling away with a slight smile, gazing adoringly into the woman's eyes. 

“Will you go out with me?”

“I would like nothing more,” Lucille replied, pecking Valerie’s lips once before placing the yellow rose in a smaller vase, smiling shyly at Valerie as she left.


	7. Hospital (Clinical) Visits (Trixie/Valerie)

It was Valerie’s first day at the clinic. Trixie had been Acting Sister for over two years, so Valerie trusted her to teach her how Poplar’s antenatal unit operated. Trixie gave detailed instructions, pointing everything out to Valerie with a perfectly manicured finger as she ran through protocol. Valerie gave Trixie her rapt, undivided attention but found her mind drifting towards the end of the tour. 

Trixie looked so focused, so in her element, and it made Valerie smile. There was something so captivating about the blonde, especially in that moment, and whatever it was, Valerie was hooked. 

Trixie must’ve noticed the stupid looking grin on Valerie’s face because she stopped what she was saying, rested her hands on her hips, and gave Valerie a look she couldn’t discern. It seemed like confused joy, and Valerie cleared her throat, turning her attention back to the blonde. 

“I’m sorry Trixie, you were saying?” Valerie prompted, and Trixie smiled shyly before continuing her explanations, passing Shelagh Turner, who was running through the list of patients who were due for visits. 

Something about Trixie’s focus was making Valerie feel uncertain and anxious, her heart thudding quickly in her chest. 

Maybe it was the way her blue eyes effectively scanned the room, or the way the corners of her mouth pinched in concentration. The latter detail just directed Valerie’s curious gaze to Trixie’s lips, which were full and swathed in red lipstick. Her pink tongue poked out of the side of her mouth as she consulted Mrs. Turner on notes and patients for the morning, and it took every shred of self control Valerie possessed not to appreciate the view Trixie presented for her as she bent down. 

Afternoon clinic went smoothly and, with Trixie’s help, Valerie had completed antenatal check-ups quickly and efficiently. 

Trixie suggested they take an early night to celebrate Valerie’s success, and conveniently, Trixie was first on call that evening and Valerie had the night off, so they celebrated over two mugs of Horlicks. 

Trixie’s teasing grin and blue eyes shining with pride were nearly Valerie’s undoing, and she nearly threw away the self control she’d been building in reference to the coy blonde, who gazed at Valerie through her thick row of dark lashes, perfectly curled and swiped with mascara. 

“Valerie, there’s something else I wanted to tell you,” Trixie said, standing quickly and grabbing both of their mugs, tossing them in the sink before Valerie could protest. 

“I like you too.” And with that declaration, she absconded from the dimly lit kitchen with an extra sway in her hips. 

Valerie wondered how she knew before realizing how obviously she’d been admiring the confident blonde. Valerie’s cheeks blushed at the thought, but she didn’t waste time, quickly disposing of the used mugs in the sink before rushing upstairs after Trixie with another stupid smile on her face.


	8. A Third Wheel (Trixie/Valerie/Lucille)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the idea for this ship from that one scene where Trixie models the black dresses she got from her grandmother for Valerie and Lucille (I think it's the 2018 Christmas Special?) and it slowly progressed from there to this ficlet, which is completely unrelated.

Valerie and Lucille had grand plans to go out together for the first time as a couple even though they would have to play it off as a platonic dinner between friends. 

Valerie could already imagine the starlight shining in Lucille’s hair and the lamppost lights playing across her soft loving smile as they strode across the quiet cobblestone streets of Poplar. Valerie dreamed further of cupping Lucille’s soft cheek reddened by the breeze and kissing her sweetly in one of the crannies of Poplar’s alleyways, though she knew that the possibility of that actually happening was slim to none. 

However, despite their preparations, Trixie presented a problem. She wasn’t homophobic or close minded, in fact Valerie thought that Trixie held an unhealthy fondness for Barbara that she wasn’t able to express due to her marriage to Tom, but Trixie wanted to go with her and Lucille to the Black Sail tonight and that wouldn’t do if she and Lucille wanted to spend time as a couple. 

In order to not be questioned about the status of their relationship, Valerie said that Trixie could go with them. 

Lucille wasn’t happy about it but she made light of the situation anyway. 

“Trixie can keep a secret, Val.” 

Lucille was right, she usually was. 

A cacophony of chatter and laughter greeted the three nurses as they strode into the Black Sail, and Valerie managed to sneak them to one of the wooden tables near the back so they could talk amongst themselves without having to shout. 

Trixie shrugged off her blazer, draping it behind her chair, and took a cigarette from one of the hidden pockets, lighting it quickly before inhaling the toxic fumes, the smoke emitting from her devil red lips as she exhaled smoothly. Lucille watched raptly, clearly enchanted at Trixie’s elegance, and Valerie found herself admiring the confident blonde as well. 

There was something magical about the way she held herself up, always managing a smile with a flirtatious wink and perfectly executed poise as if she were a member of the noble class. 

Trixie giggled, waving over a server with a perfectly manicured finger. “Drinks are on me,” she told him, and he nodded. Valerie and Lucille sharing a confused glance. “It felt only proper since I’m intruding on your evening together,” she said, and Valerie didn't put together what Trixie meant until she saw Trixie's eyes darting between the two of them expectantly. 

Lucille raised an inquiring eyebrow, and Trixie chirped her laughter, the long column of her neck exposed as she threw back her platinum blonde head. 

“I’m not blind, sweetie.” 

As Valerie went up to get the drinks, Lucille followed her, leaving an all-knowing Trixie behind. Their relationship was still quite new, so when Lucille asked tentatively about how Valerie felt about Trixie, she nearly sank down to her knees to apologize. She felt as though she’d betrayed Lucille by feeling things for her blonde friend, but when Lucille exhaled with relief and replied that she, too had feelings for the blonde, Valerie felt invincible. 

When they informed Trixie that they both liked her, Trixie giggled. “Was it that I bought you drinks or that I’m irrefutably charming?” She asked and as always, Lucille had the perfect response, one that she delivered with a shy grin tugging up the corners of her mouth. 

“We want you, Trixie, though the drinks certainly helped.”


	9. Christmas (Christopher/Tom)

He knelt on the pew with his amber eyes lowered to the altar with his hands clasped as he said words of prayer. His golden copper hair made him stick out, and the strong jawline gave his identity away. 

Doctor Christopher Dockerill was in Tom Hereward’s church. Something about that made Tom’s stomach fill with anxiety, but he ignored it. 

Tom was a reverend who led services on Christmas Eve annually, and this was the only time he was taken aback by a person’s attendance. What was more curious was that he was accompanied by a young girl of about seven or eight with honey blonde hair and the brightest, happiest blue eyes he’d ever seen. He assumed she was Christopher’s daughter, Alexandra, who Trixie adored. 

Yet something had always been off about Trixie’s relationship with Christopher, and something had always been off about his own relationship with Barbara. Tom loved Barbara more than anything, but they had both been distant for a while. 

On their last date night, when he tried to take her hand she subtly pulled away, her face flushing in embarrassment. 

“Tom! Maybe not here,” she said uncomfortably, and he backed off. 

The date night before, he’d been the one to refuse a kiss from Barbara, subtly turning his head so that her lips met his cheek instead of his lips. 

He didn’t know what either gesture meant, but he didn’t like it. 

Then it all made sense when on the search for Barbara, he thrust her bedroom door open to see her head close to Trixie’s. He thought they were whispering, but when Barbara’s pale fingers tangled themselves in Trixie’s hair, releasing a sigh of contentment from the blonde, Tom had reddened instantly and shut the door as quietly as he could. That explained a lot. And judging from the contentment on Christopher’s and his daughter’s faces, they didn’t know a thing. 

Later that night after the service was over, a soft knock on the oaken door echoed through his hallway. Tom opened the door and noticed grim brown eyes, a familiar head of copper red hair, and a disappointed expression plain on Christopher's once joyous face. 

“Mr. Hereward,” he said, and Tom frowned. Yet Tom still allowed him entrance, and once the door was shut, cutting off the frigid breeze stinging their faces red, Christopher made himself comfortable on Tom's sofa and lit a cigarette, crossing his legs and sighing. 

“Trixie and Barbara are… together. Did you know that?” He asked as he inhaled, and Tom’s countenance filled with grief. He nodded grimly, but instead of screaming bloody murder or throwing accusations, Christopher slumped further onto Tom’s sofa, taking another slow drag of his cigarette. 

“It was only a matter of time, I suppose. We were both in the relationship for convenience purposes.” 

Tom was about to ask what he was on about, but Christopher beat him to it, standing up and smiling sweetly at the reverend. “She always liked Barbara, I knew that. And I liked you.” 

Tom’s face filled with alarm, and then the pieces came together in front of his eyes. His newfound presence at church, the shy, reverent smiles Christopher would send him as he exited the church, and the knowing expression Trixie sent him from the audience. 

It all fit: the feelings Tom got around Christopher were quite unusual, the way his stomach filled with anxious butterflies flinging themselves against the walls of Tom's stomach. 

He originally thought it was unease, but now looking into Christopher's kind, vulnerable brown eyes, maybe he was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I...honestly can't explain how I came up with this. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :)


	10. One of Them Playing a Musical Instrument (Trixie/Barbara)

Barbara snuck out every Friday evening to go somewhere that was unbeknownst to Trixie, and it was eating away at her. Barbara told her everything, she was her girlfriend after all, yet this was something that she didn’t mention to any of the midwives at Nonnatus. Trixie mentioned Barbara's Friday whereabouts to her once, but she merely flushed scarlet and mumbled something about an outing she’d been invited to before scampering off. 

At first, Trixie thought Barbara was cheating on her, but that was grossly out of character for her and she knew it. When she’d suggested the idea to Patsy, the redhead nearly choked on her wine, coughing and sputtering to get the liquid dislodged from her throat. 

“Babs loves you more than anything, she wouldn’t do that!” Patsy insisted, finishing off the burgundy liquid with a smooth gulp, remnants of the liquid staining her pink lips red. Trixie plastered a smile on her face, because she thought the idea had been preposterous too, but she still considered it because why else would Barbara not tell her? 

Patsy and Delia invited Trixie to go to The Master’s Arms with them one evening, promising to keep away from the bar and instead enjoy the cacophony of the laughter of the docksmen done with their work, and the hoards of laughter as they drunkenly sang along to the folk tunes the pianist would play. 

Trixie went along with the two nurses, inwardly sulking that Barbara couldn’t come along too, but then stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a familiar voice ring from inside the pub. Patsy and Delia also wore surprised looks on their faces, exchanging a glance as the three of them crept inside to investigate. 

“This song is dedicated to a person who means the world to me,” the voice said, and Trixie nearly fainted when she saw her girlfriend sitting on the pianist’s bench holding a ratty guitar. The wood was aged, the once maple color now a darkened oak, but as Barbara plucked the strings, moving the tuning knobs just so to get the perfect sound, the guitar responded with the proper notes. 

She strummed the strings once experimentally before launching into song, her sweet voice gracing the ears of the patrons. The men murmured to each other and smiled in delight but didn’t dare impede on the beautiful voice among them, who sang like an angel sent down from the heavens. 

Trixie felt her eyes fill with tears as Barbara ended the solemn folk tune. As Barbara’s grey eyes flickered across masculine eyes in the audience, she saw Trixie, and her face paled as her grey eyes met Trixie’s incredulous ones. She stopped her set almost immediately, which the docksmen took as their cue to continue their drunken, off key singing. 

“This is what you were doing Friday nights?” Trixie exclaimed, hugging Barbara tightly, “I think it’s wonderful! You’re very talented, Barbara.” Barbara flushed in pleasure, before looking shyly up at Trixie. Trixie flung her arms around her, wishing she could kiss her right there. 

“The song was for you, Trix. Only for you,” Barbara whispered into her shoulder, and Trixie’s beaming smile spoke of secrets and promises and love for Barbara that she gladly accepted, giving the still shocked blonde a shy smile in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :) 
> 
> (Also! Let me know what you would like to see more of.)


	11. Sleeping In (Trixie/Valerie/Lucille)

Sunlight dipped its toes into Trixie and Valerie’s window the next morning, softly coaxing Trixie’s grey blue eyes open. She attempted to roll over, raising a tired hand to move a lock of blonde hair from her forehead to be greeted by the sleeping bodies of her girlfriends. 

Lucille’s head rested on Trixie’s chest, and her possessive arm lay strewn across Trixie’s waist. Valerie was turned away from Trixie, her breaths coming out as soft snores but as she slowly rolled over to face Trixie, she burrowed her head in the crook of Trixie’s neck. An affectionate smile crept onto Trixie’s face upon seeing the serene expressions on their faces because none of their usual worries or hesitations were present, just the bliss of sleep. 

What could’ve been a couple hours or a couple minutes later--Trixie couldn’t be too sure anymore--Valerie yawned, stretching her arms and opening her baby blue eyes. She grinned upon noticing Trixie, reaching her sleepy fingers up to stroke the soft skin of Trixie’s cheek. 

“Good morning, Trix,” she mumbled sleepily, giving Trixie a peck on the lips that lasted way longer than either of them planned. As Valerie moved to break away, Trixie latched a hand behind her neck to keep her there, coaxing her mouth open with her tongue. 

They broke away reluctantly as they heard a yawn emit from Lucille’s mouth, and they both gazed lovingly at the Jamaican woman as she opened her eyes. She chuckled upon noticing their flushed cheeks and kiss swollen lips, and rested her head on her left hand as she gazed at both of them with warm brown eyes. 

“Good morning,” she said knowingly, and Trixie seemed to be the only one embarrassed. 

“Good morning Luc,” Valerie replied cheekily back, giving Lucille her best star studded smile. She leaned over Trixie to kiss Lucille briefly, cupping her cheek gently as she did so. Lucille barely got a chance to recover from Valerie’s kiss before Trixie leaned in to capture Lucille's pink lips in hers. The kiss was short but sweet, Trixie’s lips worshipping Lucille’s. 

A sharp knock at the door alerted the girls, shocking them into stillness, but they sighed in relief when Phyllis’s commanding voice followed. 

“Come on lass, before anyone wakes up,” she said insistently, her confident footsteps echoing down the hall as she went back to her room. Lucille gave each girl one last kiss before extracting herself from their embrace. 

Trixie and Valerie eyed Lucille as she redressed, both refraining from ripping the garments off of Lucille’s body and coaxing her to rejoin them. The urge became harder to suppress as Trixie recalled kissing Lucille’s flushed skin by the low lamplight, and the breathy sounds she made in response. 

However, Phyllis was the only one who knew about their relationship, and they planned to keep it that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tried something a little more risque this time around. Something about the three of them inspires me. I don't know if any of you are actually interested in this, but I certainly had fun writing it. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :)
> 
> (Also! Let me know what you would like to see more of.)


	12. Building an IKEA Chair (Slight Trixie/Jenny)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I actually think of this oneshot as set in the Call the Midwife world, with the only notable exception being the existence of IKEA.

The task was easy enough. Sister Julienne needed a new set of chairs for the convent, and she employed Trixie and Jenny to do the job. 

Trixie was bright and quick on her feet, but she couldn’t build a set of chairs by herself. Luckily Jenny had the afternoon off, and wouldn’t she be so kind to help Trixie? Jenny felt as though she had no choice but to answer yes, even though she was certain that the two of them would argue again and nothing would get done. 

Of course Sister Julienne had chairs shipped in from IKEA, the Stefan variety in particular. Jenny sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as Trixie ripped the instructions out of the plastic bag, her eyes scanning the contents. 

“There should be six of the biggest screws, four of the smaller screws…” Trixie talked too fast, and by the time she finished, Jenny had only managed to find the four small screws. Trixie glared at Jenny, who stood up and reminded Trixie that she was trying to be helpful, and it wasn’t her fault that she didn’t know how to make a chair. 

“Maybe it would be faster if I found them,” Trixie said icily, and Jenny stood up, snatching the instructions from Trixie’s hands. 

“Be my guest.” 

In hindsight, that hadn’t been the best response because that led to another verbal argument, only pacified by Cynthia and Chummy’s frantic entrance. “What’s going on?” Cynthia asked, her voice a soothing calm over the words of rage Jenny and Trixie had exchanged. 

Chummy rushed to their side to help, inevitably knocking over the box and making its contents spill over the four screws Jenny had painstakingly picked out. Trixie fumed with rage, steam practically escaping her ears, but smiled apologetically when Chummy looked over guiltily at her. Jenny explained the situation, and Cynthia took the directions from her, reading over them carefully before directing the project. Chummy was directed to move the box, but she didn’t move. 

“I’m terribly sorry old bean, but I’m afraid that something will topple if I move,” Chummy said dejectedly, but then Trixie picked up the box and handed it to Chummy, effectively solving the problem. She sent Chummy a reassuring smile as she went to dispose of the box. Jenny and Cynthia shared a look of surprise but didn’t comment. 

Cynthia still poured over the directions, having Jenny adjust the chair frames while Trixie found the dowels to go in the slots. Trixie and Jenny worked together to assemble one of the chairs while Chummy offered moral support and disposed of all the boxes and plastic bags. 

As they worked, Jenny continuously found herself the subject of Trixie’s stare and it made her blush. Trixie had always made something brew in the pit of Jenny’s stomach, but she’d always played it off, unwilling to acknowledge anything. But maybe, just maybe, there was no need to deny it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :)
> 
> (Also! Let me know what you would like to see more of.)


	13. Ballroom Dancing (Valerie/Lucille)

As Valerie began cleaning up the community center from Tuesday’s antenatal visits, she heard the twitter of a flute followed by a symphony of strings. She noticed Shelagh moving away from the record player as a soothing waltz filled the air. 

“I forgot my Jim Reeves records,” she said in response to Valerie’s questioning eyebrow before shuffling through files, scanning each one quickly before collecting them for Dr. Turner. 

Valerie pretended to waltz as she cleaned, humming along as she swayed to the music. She remembered her cousins vaguely teaching her to waltz, claiming that when she was in the presence of royalty they’d expect her to know how. One two three, one two three Valerie went along, sterilizing equipment and garnering a few chuckles from Trixie, who shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose as if she were preemptively relieving a headache. Valerie still glided, tripping over her feet slightly. 

“You should show Lucille, I’m sure she’d be impressed,” Trixie said offhandedly and Valerie almost crashed into a set of chairs in shock. When she saw Trixie chuckling to herself, she blushed knowing that Trixie had seen her. 

“I found out yesterday that Valerie knows how to waltz,” Trixie said casually the next evening as she started selecting the perfect dress for her date with Christopher. Lucille just laughed, then looked at Valerie incredulously when neither girl denied Trixie’s claim. 

“Really?” Lucille asked, moving closer to Valerie on her bed. Her brown eyes were alight with wonder and curiosity, two emotions that Valerie wasn’t experienced in dealing with except in expecting mothers. Just then Trixie left the room to get dressed, having decided that she was going to wear a simple black dress. As the door clicked shut softly behind her, Lucille asked a question Valerie wasn’t prepared for. 

“Can you teach me?” 

The space wasn’t nearly big enough to practice, so they moved Trixie’s bed closer to Valerie’s, clearing enough space on the creaky wooden floors of their bedroom for Valerie to teach. She led of course, though she knew both parts, and she rested her hand lightly on Lucille’s waist, feeling the soft skin under her fingers. Then she took Lucille’s hand, her fingers entwining with delicate ones. Valerie tripped on her feet way too much out of nervousness, but Lucille merely laughed. 

Eventually the two of them got the hang of it, and they waltzed together in Valerie and Trixie’s room. Valerie even started feeling heady from Lucille’s intoxicating lavender perfume. 

Valerie’s eyes met Lucille’s during the dance, and she was fascinated by the swirling flecks of amber in them and the joyful twinkle in her eye, present even when Valerie ended the dance with a light kiss to Lucille’s knuckles. The air crackled with electricity and tension from the dance they shared, and Valerie couldn’t help herself upon seeing Lucille looking so beautiful, flushed from joy and laughter. 

She leaned down to Lucille’s cheek and pressed a small kiss there before leaving the room giddily.

And when she turned back, Lucille was smiling too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :)
> 
> (Also! Let me know what you would like to see more of.)


	14. “We Can’t Keep This Up Forever” (Eventual Trixie/Barbara)

“Hello Trixie,” Christopher said as Trixie opened the door, gazing at her sadly through his warm brown eyes. Trixie looked at him with confusion as he held out a bouquet of pink carnations and butterfly weed for her to take. She looked down at her nurse’s uniform before eyeing the expertly tailored dark suit worn by her boyfriend, and he laughed embarrassedly. 

“I know you weren’t expecting me, but I have something to tell you, preferably over dinner.” Trixie giggled nervously before inviting him in, which he did so gratefully. 

Trixie grabbed a vase from one of the cupboards, filling it halfway with water before moving upstairs to change her clothes and move the flowers to her nightstand.

“I’ll only be a minute,” Trixie said, but they both knew that she wouldn’t be down for at least twenty minutes. 

After frantically closing the door, she noticed Barbara sitting on the bed fidgeting with her fingers nervously. A cloud of anxiety passed over Barbara’s face when Trixie stepped in, but Trixie was so focused on finding the perfect outfit that she didn’t notice. 

Multiple changes in outfits later and Trixie found herself wearing a simple black dress exposing her tanned shoulders and chest, which she covered with a white fur coat that draped over her shoulders like a wreath of snow. 

Barbara smiled at her friend, hiding the tears pooling in her eyes at the sweet torture of watching her friend go on a date with someone that wasn’t her. 

“How do I look?” Trixie asked, dramatically twirling in the mirror for her and applying her signature red lipstick. 

“You’re beautiful, Trixie,” Barbara said, and she was so sincere that Trixie nearly toppled over her own two feet. Seeing Barbara’s kind grey eyes look at her with so much affection startled Trixie, who found herself more and more tempted to kiss the beautiful brunette sitting on her bed. 

Even so, Trixie went out with Christopher in his convertible, feeling the comforting breeze brush past her face and tangle in her hair as he drove. Christopher made her feel special, but he wasn’t Barbara. 

“We can’t keep this up forever,” Christopher said as they left, opening the car door chivalrously for his girlfriend once they returned to Nonnatus House. When she finally processed his words, her blood ran cold. 

“What are you talking about?” She asked, her voice trembling. Christopher smiled sadly and rested one of his hands over Trixie’s, using the other one to start the engine of his car that came to life with a booming roar. 

“You like someone else, Trixie. You just need to see it for yourself.” 

The breeze taunted Trixie as he drove away, icicles of air slashing against the warmth in her cheeks. 

It wasn’t until she saw Barbara dozing off on her bed, looking so beautiful in a simple navy sweater and waiting for her that Trixie knew what he meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :)
> 
> (Also! Let me know what you would like to see more of.)


	15. Formal Wear (Trixie/Lucille)

Lucille heard the occasional curse and frantic scrubbing from the upstairs bathroom, so she brought up an orange tray to comfort the person in distress. She used the tray to guide the door open, only a faint brush of air signalling her presence. 

Trixie looked up at her with reddened eyes as she frantically tried to scrub out the blood on her dress, which stained a merlot color on sleek obsidian fabric. 

Lucille smiled sympathetically and Trixie attempted to smile back, but Lucille could see the tears welling in her eyes, threatening to spill over her cheeks and mouth and drip onto the tan chest exposed by her stained dress. 

“I’m fine,” Trixie said, her voice slightly shaky, but they both knew that wasn’t true. 

Trixie was a beautiful tragedy in the dim lighting of the powder room. Her makeup had faded from being outside and unlike her usual confident nature where she talked incessantly, she remained silent as she sat at the foot of the bathtub. With no alcohol and no Barbara and no boys and no cigarettes, Trixie’s character was stripped bare and Lucille noticed with empathy how empty the blonde truly felt. 

Lucille set the tray on the white bathroom tiles before kneeling beside Trixie, taking one of her hands softly in her own. 

“Look at me,” Lucille said, her voice soft yet demanding. 

Trixie ceased her scrubbing almost immediately and looked into Lucille’s eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek upon seeing the empathy in the other woman’s gaze, and Lucille moved to brush the tear from her cheek with the pad of her thumb. As she moved to pull her hand away, Trixie interlaced her fingers with Lucille’s and rested their entwined hands on her cheek, which was warm and flushed with the exertion from the evening and moist from the tear Lucille swiped. 

“Don’t go,” Trixie whispered, and her body nearly crumpled to the floor as the dam holding in her emotions broke. 

Soon she was sobbing on the bathroom floor, her Parisian black dress long forgotten. 

Lucille wrapped her arms around Trixie’s broken frame as she sobbed, rubbing small circles on her back and whispering words of comfort to the blonde. Both women knew that empty words filled with pretty promises were unhelpful, but they gave Trixie something to concentrate on as she sobbed in Lucille’s arms. As her sobs died down to little sniffles, Lucille softly guided her to help her regulate her breathing, keeping her arms tightly wrapped around Trixie. Trixie followed her lead, and smiled a watery smile up at Lucille as she calmed down. 

To Lucille’s surprise and bewilderment, Trixie closed her eyes and leaned in closer, her warm breath ghosting across Lucille’s mouth. Then Trixie’s lipstick tinted mouth was on Lucille’s and Trixie sighed and melted in Lucille’s warm embrace. Trixie tasted like salt and cigarette smoke and sadness but she didn’t pull away, only wrapped her arms around Lucille’s neck and played with the hairs at the nape as they kissed. 

Lucille’s eyes flew open as Trixie’s hands moved from her neck, caressing her sides before resting on her hips. Finally Trixie broke away, breathless and smiling shyly up at Lucille who was reeling from the blonde’s kiss. 

“Thank you,” she said, hugging Lucille. 

Lucille didn’t know how else to respond except to hug back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :)
> 
> (Also! Let me know what you would like to see more of.)


	16. Lazy Day (Christopher/Tom) (Trixie/Barbara)

The people of Poplar, especially the midwives of Nonnatus House, thought that a double wedding was a spectacular idea. Who would’ve thought that Trixie and Christopher and Barbara and Tom were close enough that they were not only willing to get married together, but were excited at the prospect of a double wedding? 

Barbara and Trixie wore stunning gowns of pearly white while Tom and Christopher splurged on navy suits from the best boutique in the West End Trixie could find. 

The honeymoon stage was another double affair; the four of them were going to Cape Cod since Christopher’s aunt owned a place. 

What nobody knew couldn’t hurt them. 

Both couples were meant to hide their actual relationships and feelings; Trixie and Barbara had loved each other since they laid eyes on each other, and then they were caught kissing each other while still dating Christopher and Tom respectively. 

Tom and Christopher blamed each other at first and then blamed themselves. This must’ve been their fault, they didn’t do enough, they weren’t good enough… but the more time they spent grieving together, the more they realized that they were perfect for each other.

Christopher realized his feelings first, and after Tom's rough battle between his reciprocating feelings and how that would impact his occupation as a reverend, he finally caved. God loved all of His children, surely loving another wasn't a sin. Although their love wasn't realized as quickly as Trixie and Barbara's, both men jumped at the chance at marriage, even if under the guise of two straight relationships. 

The first day in Cape Cod, Christopher knocked on Barbara and Trixie’s door obnoxiously loudly, hollering, “come on girls, wake up!” 

Barbara sat up with a groan, but Trixie was still out cold. The flight the night before had been long and arduous, and considering that Trixie had also had night visits before the flight, she was exhausted. Barbara tucked an errant curl of blonde hair behind Trixie’s ear, and Trixie smiled that beautiful, heavenly smile in her sleep as she felt Barbara’s loving touch. 

“It’s okay, Christopher. There are many things we could do before the girls wake up,” Tom whispered, his insinuations clear, and Barbara gawped upon hearing that nonsense outside their door. 

The whole thing was still new to her, and while she once loved Tom romantically, he’d never been as reckless or as passionate with her as he was around Christopher. 

“You think too much, sweetie,” a familiar voice mumbled, and when Barbara looked down at her lover, she was smiling sleepily up at her, resting her head on her left hand. She sat up, leaning into Barbara’s embrace for a quick kiss before getting out of bed, draping a peony pink robe over her body. Barbara snuck glances at her lover’s tanned shoulders, long legs, and torso as she changed, and Trixie giggled, waving a teasing finger at Barbara. Finally Trixie opened the door, a questioning eyebrow raised, and Barbara heard Christopher heave a heavy sigh. 

“I’ve been calling your name for the past ten minutes,” he grumbled, but Tom pacificed him quickly with a quick kiss to his cheek. Christopher stole a peck from him instead, and Tom’s eyes widened, but Christopher merely grinned. “I suppose we can have a lazy day just this once.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :)


	17. Princess and Knight (Valerie/Lucille)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not me forgetting to update on Monday...

Princess Valerie Dyer couldn’t believe it. She’d seen the silvery glint of the blade, she’d heard the swish as the knife was unsheathed, but she hadn’t reacted quickly enough to defend herself. 

She didn’t know anything about wielding a knife, and her father refused to teach her, so she taught herself. Valerie loved to swing her pocket knife around in the dark with the help of a dummy, making sure that she knew how to hit each kill spot: in between the eyes, a specific nerve in the thigh, the neck. She overheard a group of knights discussing in hushed voices the notorious kill spots, so Valerie practiced until she couldn’t hide the slashes anymore. 

Still, Valerie hadn’t had time to take out her knife. Usually if someone wanted to kill her they’d poison her food, no one had been bold enough to try and kill her in cold blood. 

Another swish of metal sounded and a knight was there in seconds. Her almost murderer’s choked gasp of surprise was the only thing Valerie heard before the body slumped to the ground with a dull thump. Valerie looked up in surprise as the knight wiped his bloodied hands and took off his helmet to reveal that he … wasn’t a he. 

The knight was a she, and she had thick, curly dark hair pulled into a knot on top of her head, light brown skin that glistened from the sweat beading at her forehead, and determined brown eyes that looked sharply at her. 

“Careful, Your Highness,” the woman whispered, putting her helmet back on, concealing herself. 

After saving Valerie’s life, the woman had been stationed to guard her everywhere she went. Her father wasn’t taking any chances, and after seeing the efficiency and quickness the knight displayed in killing Valerie’s almost murderer, she was employed to guard Valerie. 

Valerie didn’t know what she expected, but the knight wasn’t as charismatic and extroverted as she thought she would be. She had no charms or wiles for Valerie like the others did. The woman was quick in her movements, light on her feet, and stayed so silent that Valerie sometimes doubted she was there. 

One day Valerie couldn’t take it anymore, so she marched up to the knight determinedly. “Who are you really?” She asked, but the knight didn’t answer. But Valerie kept her arms crossed, looking determinedly at the knight until she said something. 

“Your majesty,” the knight said with a reluctant sigh, her metal covered hands resting on the hilt of her sword, “I will answer one question, but then you must leave me. You never know who lurks in the shadows.” 

Valerie nodded eagerly, and the woman scanned the room before taking off her helmet. Valerie gazed in awe at the woman’s warm brown eyes, and then took the time to examine the rest of her face. She was absolutely gorgeous and made Valerie’s stomach flutter with a feeling she wasn’t familiar with. 

“What’s your name?” Valerie asked, hoping to put a name to the mysterious woman who saved her life probably more than once. 

The knight quirked an eyebrow, but then smiled. “Lucille. Lucille Anderson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :)


	18. Jealousy / Flowers (One-sided Trixie/Barbara)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to spoil but I do feel as though I need to add this.
> 
> TW: accidental suicide

Trixie was at her breaking point. 

First her ex boyfriend decided to date her best friend, which made Trixie feel like her heart was being violently ripped out of her chest and torn to pieces anytime she saw them together. Whether it was stealing kisses in the dark or walking together, Barbara’s small hand tucked into the crook of Tom’s elbow, Trixie felt despair circle the remains of her heart like a snake, threatening to suffocate her. 

Secondly, she realized that it wasn’t Barbara she was jealous of, it was Tom. Her relationship with Tom Hereward had come and gone over a year ago, and Trixie knew that they would’ve never worked anything out. He was still a reverend, and she didn’t want to get involved with that. 

But Barbara, Barbara who made the sky sing songs of blue and the sun beam rays of golden yellow… Trixie wasn’t prepared to fall in love with her. 

She’d regressed back to alcoholism just as soon as she’d left it because Alcoholics Anonymous wasn’t helping her anymore. She couldn’t tell the people she trusted most that she was in love with the most beautiful, kind woman in the world. The one secret tearing her heart apart couldn’t be shared because it would send her straight to prison, breaking Trixie’s resolve down even further. 

Luckily for her, Barbara wasn’t as good as Patsy in finding her stash of liquor, so she had some release. She always longed for the stolen moments at dawn or in the dead of night when she could uncork a random mixture of amber liquid and feel the telltale burn down her throat, clouding her mind and making her forget. She didn’t even get happy drunk anymore, just numb. Even though her liver was screaming for her to stop, she couldn’t. 

She didn’t wear much makeup anymore either because she knew she would cry it off, and alcohol was easy to hide but mascara stains on all her clothes weren’t. She only wore red lipstick anymore because without it, she was sure people would realize that something was wrong and the last thing she wanted to do was be a burden. 

One night she drank too much, and that was it. Her eyes closed as her veins slowly stopped circulating oxygen through her body, and she collapsed into the bathtub. The pinkness in her skin faded until her skin was white marble, and the only color left was the redness on her lips from the lipstick she’d applied that morning. 

She died alone, just as she thought she would.

The first thing Barbara noticed when she got back from Nonnatus House was that Trixie was nowhere to be found. Usually she was up late with a smile, asking Barbara to tell her everything, but instead she entered Trixie’s room to find a vase full of white gardenias resting on her bed and an empty bottle of brandy. 

Barbara felt the breath escape her lungs when she found Trixie's limp body hanging over the edge of the bathtub, her bloodstained hair hanging over the edge like a mottled halo. 

No one shed more tears than Barbara. She should’ve noticed the sadness in Trixie’s eyes, her charisma turning to reservation, the lack of makeup on her face, the lack of words, the lack of everything that made her Trixie and not the shell of who she once was. But now it was too late, and Barbara wished she had had the courage to tell Trixie how much she meant to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :)


	19. Injury / “Don’t Die on Me--Please” (Army PTSD #1) (No pairing)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is no pairing but is Valerie-centric. The sequel will be posted Monday. Also, apologies for any medical inaccuracies, I tried my best to do my research but I am not a licensed physician or doctor.

Blood, so much blood covered Valerie’s hands. The thick crimson liquid slipped through the spaces between her fingers, got caught in the lines of her hands and the cuticles of her nails. 

The man was crying as he limped in her arms to the bed provided. A whistle followed by a large boom made his limp body shake, and his blue eyes widened in fear as he was laid on the cot. 

First, disinfectant. Valerie couldn’t even imagine the amount of bacteria that could seep into his skin and cause infection from his moving through fog and sulfur, or limping through the fields of rough grass that scratched his skin pink, laden with the rotting bodies of his comrades. 

Next, a heap of bandages followed by heavy pressure on the wound to halt the bleeding. A tourniquet would take too long to fetch and would likely cause him to lose more blood than he was now. 

He groaned in pain as Valerie applied the pressure, gritting his teeth to prevent a scream from escaping his lips. Valerie was worried, though: his face was paling and his lips went from bright pink to grey. His fearful blue eyes began to close, and Valerie had to shout at him to keep him awake. 

Time crawled at a sloth’s pace, but eventually color slowly began seeping into his face, and his eyes fluttered open lazily, his eyelashes batting away the dirt stuck to his skin. Valerie moved her bloodstained hands away from the wound, peeling off the blood soaked gauze and replacing it, noticing that the blood didn’t flow as fast. He was okay. 

Valerie nearly sighed with relief, but she knew her work wasn’t done yet. As she moved to tend to other patients, a hand snatched her wrist. Valerie turned to the man--boy, and he smiled slightly at her. His eyes were red from crying out for his mum, which he’d been doing as he limped off the battlefield. 

“Could you,” he coughed, and luckily no blood was found in the slimy mucus soaking the handkerchief he pulled from his pocket, “could you be my mother?” She noticed that battle hadn’t yet dulled the youthful look in his eyes as he pleaded with her, the innocent hope that he still had even after watching man after man slump down in defeat.

How else could she respond? Valerie smiled at him, replying, “I’ll be your mother until the sun comes up.” He smiled in thanks before slowly closing his eyes, finally able to succumb to the lull of sleep. 

Valerie reached her fingers to touch his sandy blonde hair, matted from the sloppy mud he fell in, but quickly turned away. “Don’t die on me, please,” Valerie had whispered, hoping against hope that she’d done enough to save him.

He didn’t make it to sunrise. As the sky beamed shades of pink, orange, and purple, clearing the way for the richness of the sunlight, Valerie turned to the boy and nearly fainted at the sight of his pale face, closed eyes, slightly parted lips, and defeated body lying limp on the cot. Rolf Coffer had been eighteen years old, and Valerie couldn’t do anything more to save him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :)


	20. Sick (Army PTSD #2) (Valerie/Lucille)

Valerie awoke gasping and sat up in her bed hurriedly. Yet… this wasn’t her bed, or her room. 

The ceilings were mint green instead of white, and the thin gown draped on her body wasn't the soft flannel of her pajamas, it felt thin and plasticky. Rows upon rows of beds met her vision next, white bed frames holding white sheets on a white cot. Another monotonous hospital room, Valerie guessed. A room she wanted to avoid being a patient in. 

Pale blue eyes darted to the door when the lock clicked open softly, and she smiled in relief when a woman in yellow rushed to her side. 

She was all shy smiles, warm brown eyes, curly dark hair, light brown complexion, and had a calming aura that made Valerie’s tense shoulders relax almost instantly. 

It was Lucille, the most wonderful woman in the world. 

“What am I doing here?” Valerie’s voice was rough and scratchy as she spoke, and she wondered vaguely how long she’d been cooped up in the hospital for. Lucille looked at her with concern, resting the back of one of her hands on Valerie’s forehead. Valerie felt her stomach tie itself into knots as the warmth of Lucille’s skin transferred to hers, but Lucille frowned. 

“No temperature,” Lucille used her middle and index fingers to feel for Valerie’s pulse, “steady pulse.” Her brows furrowed as she concentrated, trying to discern the cause of Valerie’s discomfort. 

Valerie felt herself getting antsy, feeling as though she were pinned down to the thin cot underneath her. 

“Why am I here?” Valerie tried again, slowly getting frustrated by the silence in the room. Lucille looked almost startled and flushed a light shade of pink as she processed Valerie’s words, realizing that she’d ignored her question earlier 

“You collapsed. I called for an ambulance just in case,” Lucille said, laying a bouquet of stark blue morning glories on her bedside table. She took Valerie’s hand in hers, and Valerie was vaguely reminded of Rolf Coffer, the boy she couldn’t save. The way she gripped his cold, dead hand as she wept, unable to forgive herself for not checking up on him enough. 

Valerie didn’t realize she’d begun crying until Lucille was looking at her in sympathy, wiping the hot tears running down Valerie’s cheeks with the pad of her thumb. She placed a light kiss on Valerie’s forehead, but Valerie raised her shaky hands to tangle in Lucille’s hair, bringing her head down to hers for a quick kiss. Lucille’s lips were warm, soft, and most importantly comforting to Valerie, who felt as though she was drowning and couldn’t resurface. 

Lucille pulled back from Valerie’s embrace, smiling tenderly down at her before lacing her fingers with Valerie’s, squeezing slightly. “Get some sleep, precious, I’ll be back this evening.” 

Valerie smiled contentedly before finally closing her eyes, for once lulled into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :)


	21. Hospital Visits (Shelagh/Sister Julienne FRIENDSHIP)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd add a contribution to the Loulagh/Shulienne ship.

It was only a couple pieces of parchment, Sister Bernadette reminded herself, staring blankly at the envelope in her hand. The difference between this and the other letters of wellness she received was that this one was from Dr. Turner, and he’d been writing her letters with his quick-witted personality and loopy script for weeks. 

She was still grappling with the thought of renouncing her vows, an idea that scared her witless. Convent life had been all she had for ages, and now she was thinking of renouncing her religious vows for a man. However, he wasn’t any man: he was a lovely, charming man with kind grey eyes, a caring nature, and the most magnetic, charismatic smile she’d ever had the pleasure of seeing. 

A quiet knock at the door startled Sister Bernadette out of her thoughts, and she got up wearily to answer it. She sighed in relief upon seeing Sister Julienne, the only one who had faith in her when she arrived at Nonnatus House. After being so jaded by other young women, Sister Bernadette was ostracized by the other sisters, but not Sister Julienne. 

Sister Evangelina had specifically been tired of taking on new nuns who were young and pretty and naive who would leave Nonnatus House only a couple weeks or months after trying and failing to devote themselves to religious life. Sister Julienne had been kind and understanding and lovely since the day they met, and they developed a budding closeness that no other nun had achieved with the head sister in charge. 

Even after Sister Bernadette was more accepted by the other nuns when they realized she wouldn't leave them like the others, Sister Julienne was always the one she gravitated towards. 

“How are you feeling?” Sister Julienne asked calmly, and Sister Bernadette shrugged. Sister Julienne didn’t frown or chastise, she merely took Sister Bernadette’s hands in her own, grounding Sister Bernadette with her comforting warmth and empathy. 

“Confused. Bored. I know what I want, but I’m scared,” Sister Bernadette confessed, feeling instantly more relaxed and free as she told Sister Julienne how she truly felt. What she didn’t tell Sister Julienne was that Dr. Turner had been writing her letters for weeks and every time she tried to pick up a pen to answer him, the words floated out of her head and into the afternoon sky like plumes of billowing smoke. 

“You will be here a little longer, my dear. You have time to think about it,” Sister Julienne coaxed, and Sister Bernadette knew she was right. She didn’t have to think about the letters or renouncing her vows now. But the cogs in her brain were moving too fast, pumping out thoughts and feelings that Sister Bernadette knew she had to address because otherwise they’d pile up and take space in her head until she was left with nothing but a tense, looming anxiety in her body.

“Thank you,” Sister Bernadette said, and Sister Julienne embraced her before leaving the room. It wasn’t until later that Sister Bernadette noticed that Sister Julienne had given her a bouquet of chamomile, making the whole room smell delicately floral. 

Sister Julienne had been the only one to think of changing the monotony of her environment, and Sister Bernadette filled with gratitude at the small gesture. 

Although she reluctantly accepted in the back of her mind that she was willing to do almost anything for Dr. Turner, Sister Julienne might always be the one to know her best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please leave a like and/or a comment! Reading comments and seeing kudos makes my day :)


End file.
